Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 300 g whole wheat pastry flour
- 50 g coconut sugar
- 30 g unsweetened shredded coconut
- 12 g baking powder
- 5 g ground ginger
- 3 g kosher salt
Fats and Inclusions
- 50 g unsalted butter, very cold, diced
- 40 g virgin coconut oil, solid, very cold
- 40 g crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Wet Ingredients
- 120 ml full-fat coconut milk, chilled
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Finishing
- 15 ml full-fat coconut milk, for brushing
- 10 g turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 321 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 41 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 327 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 13 mg
- Potassium
- 229 mg
- Calcium
- 112 mg
- Iron
- 2.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 62 mg
- Phosphorus
- 194 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 43 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.14 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.09 mg
- Niacin
- 2.3 mg
- Folate
- 18 mcg
- Water
- 20 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk to thoroughly combine the whole wheat pastry flour, coconut sugar, shredded coconut, baking powder, ground ginger, and kosher salt.
Add the cold diced butter and cold solid virgin coconut oil to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender to cut the fats into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
Toss the finely chopped crystallized ginger into the flour mixture so the pieces are evenly coated and separated.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the chilled full-fat coconut milk and vanilla extract. Gently mix with a spatula until a shaggy dough just begins to come together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead 3 to 4 times just to bring it together, being extremely careful not to overwork it. Pat into a disc about 2.5 centimeters thick, then use a knife to cut into 8 equal wedges. Place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet.
Place the entire baking sheet in the freezer to rapidly chill the fats before baking.
Brush the tops of the chilled scones lightly with the extra coconut milk and sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and baked through.
Transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Chef's Notes
- Using solid virgin coconut oil alongside cold butter provides the flakiness of a traditional scone while infusing a delicate coconut aroma directly into the fat layers.
- Whole wheat pastry flour contains less gluten-forming protein than standard whole wheat flour, ensuring the scones remain incredibly tender despite being 100 percent whole grain.
- Chilling the shaped scones in the freezer before baking solidifies the fats. When these cold fat pockets hit the hot oven, they rapidly produce steam to create maximum lift and distinct, flaky layers.
- For the best texture, avoid handling the dough with bare hands more than necessary, as the warmth from your skin will melt the delicate fats.
Storage
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze unbaked scones and bake directly from frozen, adding 3 to 5 minutes to the total bake time.
Reheating: Warm in a 150C oven for 5 minutes to refresh the crust.
Troubleshooting
Scones are dense, heavy, or tough
Cause: The dough was overmixed, developing too much gluten, or the butter and coconut oil melted into the flour before baking
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but can be crumbled over yogurt or soaked in a custard base.
Prevention: Keep all fats and liquids ice cold. Mix and knead only until the dough just holds together.
Scones spread outwards instead of rising tall
Cause: Fats were too warm or baking powder is expired
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always chill the shaped scones before baking to ensure the fat is solid when hitting the hot oven.
Cultural Context
Scones are a traditional British baked good, originally made with oats and cooked on a griddle before evolving into the oven-baked treats we know today. This modern variation incorporates tropical coconut and warming ginger, bridging classic European pastry techniques with global pantry staples to create a comforting, nutritious dessert or breakfast option.
